Swayambunath Stupa, Kathmandu 
Swayambunath Stupa in Kathmandu. Photo © Sacredsites.com.
Ccolorful prayer flags bedeck the stupa. Photo
Andrew Castellano.
Top of the stupa. Photos
Steve Evans (left) and Araleya (right). 
Tibetan prayer wheels. Photo
Tiago Pereira.
Shrines of the Dhyani Buddhas and a temple monkey. Photos
Dey.
Prayer wheels. Photo
Dey.Interactive satellite map of Swayambunath Stupa. For a larger view,
see our Kathmandu Map or Google Earth download.
Perched atop a forested hill on the western edge of the Kathmandu Valley, Swayambunath Stupa is Kathmandu's most important Buddhist shrine.
The sleepy, all-seeing Buddha's eyes that stare out from the top of this hemispherical shrine have become the quintessential symbol of Nepal.
History
The earliest record of the Swayambunath Stupa's existence dates from a 5th-century stone inscription; however, scholars and archaeologists believe that there was probably a shrine here as far back as 2,000 years ago. In any case, Swayambunath certainly has an ancient feel to it, which is enhanced by approaching it on foot as pilgrims do.
What to See
The pilgrim's route to the Swayambunath Stupa is a steep stone staircase of more than 300 steps, often claimed as 365. At the base of the staircase is a large, brightly painted gateway.
Leading up to this gate are walls into which are set dozens of copper prayer wheels, inside of which are thousands of Tibetan Buddhist prayers. Buddhists gain a better standing in their next life by saying as many prayers or mantras as possible, and it is believed that when each prayer wheel is spun, all the prayers inside are recited and sent heavenward.
Within the gatehouse itself there is a massive prayer wheel nearly 12 feet tall that requires two hands to turn. Filled with thousands of prayers, this wheel strikes a bell each time it makes a complete revolution (perhaps just to make sure someone up there is listening). Be sure to give it a spin before beginning the climb to the top of the hill.
Just inside the gate three large, brightly painted statues of the Buddha sit cross-legged in a meditative pose. In early morning, there are usually Tibetan women doing prostrations in front of these statues.
Swayambunath is also known as the Monkey Temple, and as you start up the hill, you will likely begin to see the monkeys that lend the stupa this alternate name. The monkeys are Rhesus macaques, the species often used in medical research and from which the Rh-factor in human blood takes its name. Though cute, these monkeys should be given a wide berth. They can be bad tempered and are carriers of rabies. Should you be bitten by one, wash the wound thoroughly and then see a doctor immediately.
As you climb the stairs, you will pass numerous vendors selling small mani stones--stones that have been covered with prayers and serve the same devotional purpose as a prayer wheel. These small stones are strictly tourist trade, but larger mani stones are scattered about the hillside.
If you aren't winded from the climb up, the sudden sight of the stupa and all its shrines and temples will certainly take your breath away. Immediately in front of you as you reach the top of the stairs is a giant vajra, the thunderbolt that destroys all ignorance--one of the most important symbols in Tibetan Buddhism.
Behind this is the stupa itself, a large hemisphere that looks as if it has been coated with white cake icing. The mysterious eyes of the Buddha gaze out over your head from the gilded cube surmounting the white hemispheric base. Prayer flags, new and old, flutter in the breeze and, as do the mani stones and prayer wheels, send their prayers heavenward on the wind.
Step around to the observation area on the left and take in the hilltop scene before you. Swayambunath Stupa, a white dome crowned with a gilded spire, is one of the two holiest Buddhist shrines in Nepal and is easily seen from all over Kathmandu. The mysterious eyes, painted on all four sides of the stupa's spire, represent the eyes of the Buddha and face the four cardinal directions--east, west, north, and south.
Between each pair of eyes, where the nose would be, is what looks like a question mark. This is actually the Nepali character for the number 1, which symbolizes unity and the "one" way to reach enlightenment--through the Buddha's teachings. Above this is the third eye, symbolizing the all-seeing wisdom of the Buddha.
The upper part of the spire consists of 13 gilded disks tapering up to a gilded umbrella hung with a colorful skirt. The 13 disks represent the 13 steps to enlightenment, and enlightenment is represented by the umbrella. Between the eyes and the lowest of the 13 disks are four toranas, one for each of the cardinal directions. The toranas each include an image of the Buddha and other important deities.
Facing the steps, which climb the hill from the east, is the first of five ornate shrines set into the base of the stupa. Each shrine, protected by a heavy metal gate, contains one of the Dhyani Buddhas and their consorts.
The Dhyani Buddhas preceded the historic Buddha who was born near the present-day city of Lumbini in the Terai region of Nepal. Each of the Dhyani Buddhas faces one of the cardinal directions, with a fifth, slightly to the left of the east-facing Buddha, representing the Buddha at the center of the compass.
Each of the five shrines is surrounded by exquisite gilded copperwork done in the repoussé style of metalworking, for which the Kathmandu Valley is renowned. Between these shrines, facing the subcardinal directions, are shrines containing the consorts of four of the Dhyani Buddhas. Linking the nine shrines is a long wall of prayer wheels and butter lamps.
An odd assortment of temples, shrines, monasteries, and curio shops surrounds the stupa. On the east side of the stupa, flanking the stairs that lead up from the bottom of the hill, are two shikhara-style temples, and on the west are a museum, a gompa (monastery prayer room), and a library for Buddhist studies. It is possible to climb the stairs to the gompa and then take a flight of stairs up to the gompa roof, from which there is an excellent view of the stupa with the Kathmandu Valley in the background. From this height, you are looking directly into the eyes of the Buddha.
Beneath the gompa is a large open room that is always bustling with people on Saturdays, the only day of the week Nepalis have off from work and school. Women stir pots of stew, boil rice, and fry bread. They are not, however, cooking for themselves. Their meals will be given as offerings to the goddess Hariti Devi, whose temple stands just outside this cooking area.
Quick Facts
The best time to visit Swayambunath is early in the morning (before 8 or 9am). It is at this time that local people visit the stupa to say their prayers and make their offerings. During the middle of the day, Swayambunath is often crowded with tourists. There is now a Rs50 (75¢) charge for tourists visiting the stupa.
If you aren't fit enough to climb the stairs to the top of the hill, it's possible to take a taxi up a road on the back side of the hill. You'll still have to climb quite a few stairs before you reach the stupa itself, but not nearly as many as you would if you climbed from the base of the hill. If you arrive by taxi, you will enter the stupa compound from the southwest corner. A taxi from Thamel or Durbar Marg should cost around Rs80 ($1.20).
